My name is Cliff E. Dean, and I am the Founder and CEO of LD Systems, a banking equipment company founded in 1988. I have been married for 27 years and have five grown children ages 25, 26, 37, 44, 45.

I would like to tell you my story. It started with the Lord showing me practical applications of “Where the Rubber meets the road.” I experienced boldness in the marketplace, when Jesus revealed to me our environments – work, sports, family, church, and community. Each one of us has influence in our environments. Most important is love. Love is what happens between a believer in Christ and then between a believer and others. God said to love others because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).

It is the easier to gain a friend and lead him to Christ by loving him rather than condemning him. There is NO condemnation in Christ.

Example – HAVE FUN! I was with two friends, and a stranger playing golf. The stranger had a limited vocabulary and could not finish a sentence without profanity. At one point, he used the Lord’s name in vain. I looked at him and said, “You know He has always spoke well of you.” He kept on talking and cursing and then stopped. He backed up and he looked at me and said, “What did you say?” I said, “He has always spoke well of you. I just want you to know that the Lord loves you.” He said, “Are you one of those…?” And I interrupted him and said, “A Bible believing, Bible thumping, born-again Jesus freak? Yes - Guilty!” He said, “Well I guess I can’t cuss around you anymore.” I said, “No, you didn’t offend me. You didn’t say Cliff Da--it. I just want you to know that the Lord has always spoke well of you, and He loves you.” And I smiled! He then backed up and started talking about how he was going to church, Sunday school, and teaching. I went to put my arm around him and said, “Wait a minute, you’re not still teaching Sunday school are you?” He said, “Oh no, and I smiled very big and said, “Praise God!” I could have started beating him over the head with the Bible and talking about how it was improper to use the Lord’s name in vain. I would have driven him away. The rest of he day he pointed towards the tee box smiling and said, “Okay holy man. You’re up!”

You need to have fun, and I do every chance I get!

We need to have a purpose to do what God wants this day. Ask for opportunities to bless someone and pray out loud.

BE BOLD!

Okay, I’m going to ask you now about being bold. How many pray with family at meals, and friends after church? Do you pray with everyone during business meals -- no matter who is there?

I helped start a men’s group in Coppell at McDonald’s. We went from six to 120 and had to move back into the church. Each week all denominations were represented from our Oikos. I had spoken to all our men in our group and had challenged them to pray at business meals. Shortly thereafter, I moved about 45 minutes north to Lantana. We had a reunion a couple years later, and I went back to the same Bible study group. Two men came up to me and said, “They bit the bullet and prayed at their business meals.” The results were phenomenal. Business deals blossomed. They had opportunities to pray for their families and friends. It was sad that the other 118 Christians let Satan tell them it was not politically correct. Thus, they had missed many opportunities and blessings. Political correctness has destroyed common sense. We have to make a difference. When I sit down and tell everyone that I am going to bless their food, families, and business relationships. No one’s has ever said, “Don’t bless me!”

You see, it’s easy to pray with Christians. Jesus hung naked on a cross for me and them. The least I can do is to mention His name. God’s word never returns void. The most powerful Word is Jesus. When you hear His name, you are never the same. You are always impacted.

I would like to give you an example of my reluctance to pray. In 2004, I was negotiating a contract, and it was with a Korean company. The man that came to see me knew very little English, and I know no Korean. Every time I said something, we each had to repeat it four times. After four hours we were tired and hungry, and I ask him what he would like to eat. He said, “Fast food.” I said, “What do you mean, like Churches Chicken, Whataburger, or Taco Bell?” He replied, “Yes, I love fast food!”

So we went to Whataburger. While waiting on our food, I silently started negotiating and arguing with God. I said, “Lord can I pray silently this time because I know he is a Buddhist, and I know I will have to repeat everything four times.” Immediately the Holy Spirit quickened my heart – “He hung naked on a cross.” Okay, okay, I get it. I will pray.

Our food came and I told Joshua that I was going to pray for our food. He said, “What?” I said, “I’m going to bless our food.” Joshua said, “What?” Putting my hands together and pointing to God, I said, “I’m going to pray to God.” I pointed at the food, “And bless our food.” He frowned and said, “Okay.” I prayed and ended with in Jesus name. Amen.

I looked up. He was still frowning and said, “So you a Christian?” I said, “Yes I am.” He smiled and said, “So am I.” He was a new Christian, and he told me his wife prayed for him before he left for the United States that he would meet a Christian businessman. I was his last stop in the US and he said, “I was the only Christian he had met the whole time in the United States.” If I had been lazy, his wife’s prayer wouldn’t have been answered or realized. His faith as well as mine wouldn’t have been built, and he would not been able to say he had met a Christian businessman. When we got back to my office, I got everything I’d asked for and more.

Jesus showed me that I can’t speak in someone’s life with any authority and validity until I have invested myself in that person’s life. We have to make a friend, be a friend, and lead a friend to Christ.

I our lives our environments are made up of individuals and groups. And by the grace of God, we are given opportunities and responsibilities. Christ is in all these environments, and He gives us the opportunities to affect our surroundings. Remember it’s not what we have to do. It’s we get to do.

Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good for those who believe and are called according to His purpose.” I found that God can take what we screw up, and make it work together for good. He can sanctify a bad or failing marriage, and heal it for example.

I know a man that was struggling with his priorities early in life. He was involved in sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, and was headed straight for hell with two failed marriages. While in a second marriage, his wife tried killing him three times. Their children were a mess. They had no spiritual leadership in the home and no relationship with God.

He finally got saved in his late 20s. His biological father led him to the Lord.

He married a wonderful woman who is a prayer warrior, and they decided to raise their two children in a Christ centered home. God blessed that commitment. The last two children have been committed to the Lord. They are involved in Pastoral ministry and Christian counseling.

You see the man that screwed up lives, his own, and his two families early in life. God never gave up on ME.

But God through His grace answered our prayers and touched my heart.

Our children benefited from my wife’s and my obedience through prayer and commitment to the Lord. God is always faithful in spite of us. We had an effect in our most important Oikos/environment – our family.

We are to make Christ known to the world. Men make no mistake; the most important environment is your family. They are looking to you as a visible example of Christ and a spiritual leader.

As Christians, we all need to grow thicker skins and softer hearts. And God’s promise is to never leave you nor forsake you. If you make Him the center of your life, you will experience a power that will be beyond what you could ever imagine.

I challenge you to be BOLD. Pray at business meetings when you don’t know their faith.

Be WARRIORS for Christ in love because He’s Always spoke well of you!

Be COURAGEOUS “He hung naked on the cross for you and me,” the least you can do is mention His name.

God Bless You

Cliff and Lynda Dean

Instructions:

Instructions for printing HHV: Print both sides in color using landscape and fold. Please line up and print both sides of inserts in black and white using landscape and cut in the middle. Please make sure that page numbers appear. Please combine inserts1 and 2 together.